barley

noun

bar·​ley ˈbär-lē 

: a cereal grass (genus Hordeum and especially H. vulgare) having the flowers in dense spikes with long awns and three spikelets at each joint of the rachis

also : its seed used especially in malt beverages, breakfast foods, and stock feeds

Examples of barley in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Fin Point Oyster Bar & Grille (which is always crowded) offers super selections including roasted-mushroom flatbread, roasted-beet salad with pomegranate seeds, and the roasted salmon featuring baked acorn squash with black barley. —Debbi Kickham, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025

Stir in the barley, miso mixture, Savory Spice Blend 2.0, thyme, onion powder, pippali, 1/2 cup (120ml) of the Vegetable Broth 2.0 and sodium-free salt substitute (if using), and simmer, stirring gently until the liquid is absorbed. —Michael Greger, Flow Space, 24 Apr. 2025

Similar to hops, specific strains of barley and wheat are used to produce specific tastes in different styles of beer. —Jay R. Brooks, Mercury News, 21 Apr. 2025

If your current diet is low in whole grains, try experimenting with different sources, like quinoa, teff, sorghum, buckwheat, and barley. —Jillian Kubala, Health, 21 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English barly, from Old English bærlic of barley; akin to Old English bere barley, Latin far spelt

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing barley

• barley-bree
• barley-broo
• barley sugar
• barley wine

Rhymes for barley

• charley
• charlie
• marly
• bizarrely

Kids Definition

barley

noun

bar·​ley ˈbär-lē 

: a cereal grass with flowers in dense spikes

also : its seed used especially in malt beverages, in foods (as soups and cereals), or as feed for livestock

Medical Definition

barley

noun

bar·​ley ˈbär-lē 

: a cereal grass (genus Hordeum, especially H. vulgare) having the flowers in dense spikes with long awns

also : its seed used in malt beverages and in breakfast foods and stock feeds